MATCH! 26 April 2022

LIVERPOOL v VILLARREAL Liverpool will bebig favourites to reach the Champions League final against a Villarreal side who’ve only reached this stage once before in their history! The Yellow Submarine deservetons of respect and credit after knocking out Bayern, while Liverpool have also won justfour of their last 17 head-to-heads against Spanish sides, soit won’t be easy! MAN. CITY v REAL MADRID Carlo Ancelotti has just joined Pep Guardiola on an elite list of three managers to qualify for the Champo League semi-finals in eight different campaigns! The genius gaffers will do battle on the touch line while their players face-of fonthe pitch. The teamsmet as recently as the 2019-20 CL, when City beat Los Blancos 4-2on aggregate to progress!…

GOAL KERR-AZY! This is the Australia ace’s second full season in the WSL and she’s on course to win back-to-back Golden Boot awards! She hit 21 goals from 22 matches in 2020-21, and registered 16 from her first 16 for Chelsea this campaign, averaging a net-buster every 75 minutes! GREENWOOD’S GROOVE! No player has picked out more successful passes than the Man. City defender this season! The February Fans’ Player of the Month is easily one of the best ball-playing defenders in the league and is absolutely crucial in helping City build up play from the back! STAR OF THE SEASON? Miedema was directly involved in 18 goals from her first 18 WSL games this season, netting 12 and grabbing six assists! Kerr was the only player to have more goal involvements at that stage,…

MANAGER MATT BEARD He’s currently in his second spell at the club after being named WSL Manager of the Year in 2013 and 2014 while in charge of The Reds! STAR PLAYER LEANNE KIERNAN The Republic of Ireland international joined from West Ham last year and has been the club’s top goalscorer this term. She’s lethal! CAPTAIN NIAMH FAHEY The lifelong Liverpool fan has won league titles at Chelsea and Arsenal, and is a Republic of Ireland international CB! WONDERKID MISSY BO KEARNS The local lass is the youngest captain in the history of Liverpool Women and was once a team-mate of Curtis Jones at junior level!…

50+ He was the first player in Europe’s top five leagues to be directly involved in 50 goals in all competitions this season! 2 Cristiano Ronaldo is the only other Real Madrid player in the 21st century to be involved in as many as 50 goals in a single campaign 12 He’s one of just five players to have scored at least one goal in each of the last 12 LaLiga seasons! 8+ No player has scored more opening goals in LaLiga this season! Infact, Los Blancos have won the last 14 games in which Karimhas scored the opener! 93 He's averaging a La Liaga goal every 93 minutes this season - better thatn any other player with nine or more net-busters! 34 This season he also became the oldest-ever player to score a ChampionsLeague hat-tick at 34 years and 108…

HOW TO VOTE! Go to the MATCH social media channels now and you’ll see two shortlists – one for Player Of The Month and one for Goal Of The Month. Then just vote for your choice. Well easy! THE RESULTS! We’ll reveal the winners in the next issue!…

ACADEMY DAYS! KANE SAYS: “You always have the dream in the back of your head about being a professional footballer, but at 11 years old you’re just enjoying football. You’re not thinking too much about the future! I remember just being proud to wear the Tottenham badge!” SENIOR DEBUT! KANE SAYS: “It was against Rochdale for Leyton Orient! I came off the bench. The pitch was horrendous – it was waterlogged. It was like, ‘Welcome to League One!’ I just remember being so excited, running around for 15 minutes. I earned the respect of the team and manager. I wasn’t afraid of digging dip, getting dirty, trying to help the team!” FIRST PRO GOAL! KANE SAYS: “My first professional goal was at home against Sheffield Wednesday. I still picture it now, the ball coming in…